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(N0 Model.)

G. W. PEPPLE. SEAT.

No. 438,941. PatentedOot. 21, 1890.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. PEPPLE, OF AUBURN, INDIANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,941, dated October 21, 1890.

Application filed May 12, 1890. Serial No. 851,462. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PEPPLE, of Auburn, in the county of De Kalb and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Seats; and Idohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in seats; and it consists in the combination and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to produce a seat which is especially intended to do away with all of the side and endwise movement of the cars and locomotives while in motion and by means of which a person is enabled to write, read, or recline with perfect ease and comfort.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a seat which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

A represents a base or support for the seat and which may be of any suitable construction. As here shown a box is used and the different parts of the seat are secured to the top B, which is hinged to the box at one side or end, and this box serves to contain any articles belonging to the engineer or other person traveling upon the car or locomotive.

Secured upon the top of the cover B in any suitable manner are a number of spiral springs 0, upon which the seat D is placed, and also a number of springs F, which are secured at both of their ends to the top of the cover and at their centers to the under side of the seat D. Two or more of these springs F extend in a line with the seat and two or more are placed at right angles, so as to extend across the under side of the seat, and thus counteract all endwise and lateral movement of the car or locomotive. The springs 0 allow the seat D avertical movement-,Which is limited by the short chains or wires H, and this vertical movement is just sufficient to give to the seat a free and easy movement Without allowing the rollers I to become displaced from the cups J, in which they are held. There may be any suitable number of these balls I and cups J, though there are only four here shownone under each corner of the seat. Secured to the under side of the seat, which will preferably be of wood, is a steel plate L for each ball I, and which serve to protect the bottom board of the seat from being injured by the balls as the seat moves back and forth over them. The bottoms of the cups are made concave at their centers, and hence the balls if left free for only a moment by the upward movement of the seat upon the springs instantly return to the centers of the cups. cave bottoms the balls would not always be in posit-ion to give to the seat the necessary lateral movement.

\Vhen the seat is forced downward against the pressure of the springs C, it rests upon the balls I, and then it has a free horizontal movement in all directions, so as to counteract the lateral and endwise movement of the cars andlocomotives. This free-sliding horizontal movement especially adapts the seat to be used in a directors or pay-masters car where writing is necessary or where a person wishes to read or recline with perfect ease and comfort. This seat is also especially adapted for locomotives, and affords to the engineer an ease and comfort which cannot be obtained fromthe ordinary hard seat heretofore used.

I do not limit myinvention to the particular form here shown, for it may be made in any shape that may be preferred.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a seat, the combination, with a support having cups provided with concave centers and balls placed therein, of a movable seat, vertical spiral springs which have their ends secured, respectively, thereto, and horizontal spiral springs placed lengthwise and crosswise the said support and having their ends and centers secured, respectively, to the seat and support, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. PEPPLE. Witnesses:

JOHN PHILLIP LUDWIG, WILLARD PEPPLE.

If it were not for the con- 

